Devil Said Bang - Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim Series, Bk. 4)

 The more of these I read, the more I like them.  This book has the MC's human and angel sides separated from each other and I liked the character much more when he wasn't maliciously working against his best interest because he was too stubborn to listen to the wiser voice inside his head.  Both Hell and the wider picture become much more flushed out in this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!

My Sister, the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite

 I thought this was a pretty good book. The author does a great job in keeping the pace, jumping between dates for the "memory scenes", and making the MC feel real.  That last one was the best.  The MC keeps helping her sister cover up her crimes, even though she hates it and wants out.  Any outside advise would obviously be: simply stop and leave her to clean up her own messes.  But the author does a great and honest job of showing the MC's motivation even in the event of her crush being on the chopping block. This is an intense, wild ride and I would recommend it for any of my crime story loving friends. 

The Secret Life of the Mind: How your Brain Thinks, Feels, and Decides - Mariano Sigman

 This is a super fascinating book covering a wide range of brain-related phenomena that I’d not learned of before. If you want to know all the details, read the book, but I will leave you with an example: Every time you move your eyes, your brain shuts off.  Just try it. Look at something to your right and then look at something to your left.  You can see in your peripheral but the details of your eyes tracking across everything in the middle aren't there.  It will annoy you forever now. You're welcome.

What the Bible says about Birth Control, Infertility, Reproductive Technology and Adoption - Wayne Grudem

 Despite the low page count, this book was difficult to get through because so much of it was just disgusting, going so far as to be technically inaccurate. I must say I'm not surprised given how much the people who have no sound reason for their opinions desperately need justifications for their harmful beliefs.  Apparently, the "life begins at conception" crowd doesn't know what a pregnancy is.  Again, I'm not surprised.  A pregnancy doesn't begin until the egg implants in the uterine lining and begins drawing nutrients from the female's body.  This makes Plan B perfectly legal and not an abortion, yet this author, so poor in his logic, claims that Plan B ends a pregnancy even going so far as to "cite" a "doctor".  Given the lack of basic understanding surrounding reproduction, either this quote is made up, the doctor is made up, or some medical person is incredibly dangerous and shouldn't be practicing medicine.  

The author doesn't think anyone should be childfree by choice.  (Does it count if you give it up for adoption and never care for your own child?) And this is the point I disagree with most.  Having children should be a venture you are 110% in on.  People who don't want to be parents should NEVER be parents.  I will NOT put children into homes that don't want them.  This is evil to its core.  By spouting this, the author shows he does not care for the well-being of children at all. He, and anyone else who believes forcing children on a person, is actively wishing danger on babies.

I was slightly relieved to read that at least the author wasn't a "god will provide" type.  I believe they make me the most angry.  We don't tell people to buy a house they can't afford, get a pet they can't properly care for, enter a relationship when they aren't in the correct state of mind.  Yet for some insane reason, some people think you should just have kids willy-nilly and cite the "god will provide" bs.  This is 100% shrugging off your responsibility.  It's not anyone else's job, and demanding or expecting your god to care for your children when you won't take the responsibility to do it yourself is beyond entitled.  

Why We Swim - Bonnie Tsui

 I'm not totally sure what I was expecting out of this book, but it wasn't very captivating for me.  I don't know if it was to induce people who don't know how to swim to try or written as a mutual love letter to other pool swimmers.  It didn't speak to me much except for when the author was in tropical waters.  I don't believe I would recommend this book to anyone, sadly.

Cold Days - Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files, Bk. 14)

 So we are back with the living post-child-discovery and while it comes up because it was the reason the MC is in his current bind, I'm glad it's not overtly running the narrative.  We've got your standard hanging-on-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff, it's all great.  This was a good one.

The Crystal City - Orson Scott Card (The Tales of Alvin Maker, Bk. 6)

 Totally thought this was the final book in the series. Turns out, it's just not finished yet. Card has been going in so many directions I really hope he come back to this series soon.  I'd love to see it keep going.  It is really a fun ride.